Centrifugal separator for the treatment of fluids or sludges



Aug. 9, 1932. G. TER MEER 1,871,284

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOR THE TREATMENT OF FLUIDS OR SLUDGES Filed July15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 c 25 r- 26 i 27 f L. d.

aye/2f may tZr/Xer 1932- e. TER MEER 1,871,284

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOR THE TREATMENT OF FLUIDS OR SLUDGES Filed July15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Seciian a b Jed/an c-d Fig.

' 9444M 20 M 7 liiornqys g 1932- G. TER MEER 1,871,284

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOR THE TREATMENT OF FLUIDS OR SLUDGES Filed July15. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 J z axin /$6 a]. v a 7 M9 liming 6,

Aug. 9, 1932. e. TER MEER 1,371,284

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOK THE TREATMENT OF FLUIDS 0R SLUDGES Filed July15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jn ven for @AQIWZMZ fwwhia" Aug. 9, 1932. G.TER MEER 1,871,234

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOR THE TREATMENT OF FLUIDS OR SLUDGES Filed July15;1930 s Sheets-Sheet s g Jnvenfor- Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITE g MalGUSTAV TER MEER, F MUNTCH, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT 'II OTTO 8: SONS,OF

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK OENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FORTREATMENT OF FLUIDS OR SLUDGES Application filed July 15, 1930, SerialNo. 488,020, and in Germany Septe'mber12, 1928.

'This invention relates to centrifugal machines for separating solidsfrom fluid or sludgyma-terials owing to their respectively difierentspecific gravity. The purpose of the invention is to improve the saidcentrifugal machines in design in order to increase the output andthereby the efficiency of such machines.

The common type of centrifugal machines,

10 which serve for purifying of liquids or for v the separation of thedifierent components of certain materials, is divided into two-.classes, according whether forated or imperforated.

Centrifugal machines with baskets having a perforate-wall, as experiencehas proved,

the basket is percan'be employed forthe treatment of liquors in aneconomical manner only if ,the solids extracted from the liquor form afilm or layer on-the wall ofthe basket, which has large pores andthereby provides an easy passage for the liquid to be thrown out. Thereare however numerous kinds of sludge, the separation of which from theliquors by means of perforate separators with walls servingas filteringsurfaces is.either impossible or at least very difficult andunsatisfactory. In

such cases the centrifugal force presses the fine-grained sludge withsuch pressure onto the filter or sieves 'of the basket, that thelatterare quickly choked and the escaping liquor prevented frompassing throughthe layer or film of solids radially in direction of the centrifugalforce. Owing to the deposit on 5 in layers a steadily thickeningcompressed film of solids is soon formed even with coarsegrainedmaterials, as experience has proved such film soon becomes impermeableand thus foiling all attempts to attain an efficient service.

' One of the objects of'the present invention is to increase theefficiency of such centrifugal separators considerably through anincrease of the filtering surfaces, namely by making those surfaces,which are vertical or nearly vertical to the axis of the basket alsointo filters besides the cylindrical part of the basket. In order toprovide means for the hydroextraction of those parts of the materialunder treatment, which are furthest from the Walls of the basket, and inorder to accelerate the hydro-extraction, the invention provides, thatdouble-walled filters should be so that the fitting of the saidfiltering sur faces or the eventual, exchange ofthe same in case of needon account of damage or wear is facilitated and accelerated, whereby therunning expenses are considerably lessened,

because it will no longer be necessary to renew the total lateral orupper and lower filtering surfaces of the basket in case of repairs orreplacements as used to bethe prac tice formerly.

A further object of the invention is the avoidance'of choking of thefilter openings for the axial passage of the liquor in such manner, thatthe openings are arranged obliquely, so that any solid particles, whichshould accidentally get into the openings, will be thrown out again inthe direction of the centrifugal force. This oblique arrange ment of thefilter openingsin the lateral wallsof the basket ollers no longer anopportunity for the thrown-out solids to accumulate and thus graduallyclose the openings. 7

If further in a plantlarge volumes of fluids or sludges are to betreated, wherefor formerly two independent sets of separators were used,this invention provides for the mountperforate or imperforate baskets inlike manrator constructed in accordance with my-inner.

Finally this invention provides, that on imperforate baskets ofcentrifugal separators, in which for instance the town sewage ispurified, and where'it is important that the separated fluids should beas clear as possible, a perfect result is attained by the provision ofseparate peeling devices for the different strata, as formed under theinfluence of the centrifugal force, namely for instance, clear liquor,sludge (composed of lightly cohering particles of material) and solids,such peeling devices to extend preferably over the whole length of thebasket. The various independent peeling devices come into actionautomatically and in succession and are adjustable regarding their depthof cutting according to the varying thicknesses of the different strataowing to the changeable nature of the material undertreatment.

vof my invention will, be hereafter fully de-' scribed. and pointed out,and areillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which, viz:

Figure 1 is a central'vertical section taken longitudinally, showing acentrifugal sepavention,

Figure 21s a section on the'linesa b,--

cd of Figure 1, Figure 3 shows afront elevation of a segment of thefilter. embodying the. present 1nvention and serving. as thelateral-filtering walls of the basket,

Figure 3a shows a side elevation of the construction shown in Figure 3,s

Figure 4 shows in an enlarged scale the top part of a filter segmentwith oblique holes.

- or openings in the covering plate,

Figure 5 shows also a top part of a filter segment with vertical holesor openingsin the covering plate,

' Figure 6 shows a filter'segment built .up

from laminations, producing openings run-'- ning in basket, I I

Figure 7 shows a laminated filter segment in front and side elevationinjafsma'ller scale, Figure 8 shows the arrangement of three an obliquedirection to the axis of the peeling knives within the basket 'ofthemachine with adjusting device to the prevailing thickness of the stratumof material to be removed and the actuation of the said knives by acommon pressure cylinder, 1 Figure 9 shows a plan view of the automaticeral basket wall.

basket, .passages 10 are provided in similar end walls 8 and 9 of thebasket, so that part of the liquor of the material under treatment inthe machine is permitted to leave the basket 1 in an axial direction.The lateral filtering walls 8 and 9 are preferably formed in segments inorder to provide quick and easy means of exchan ing them. If it isfound, that the lateral filtering walls 8 and 9- are damaged at anyspot, only thedamag'ed seg-' ment need be removed and'repaired orexchanged for a new one if beyond repair.

The fastening of the said filtering walls 9, can for instance becar'ried out, asthe same is subdivided into segments 12, by recessingthe hub member 3 as shown in Figure 1. I The radially inner edge 11- ofthe filtering segment 12 fits into a corresponding groove of the hubmember3, whilst the radially outer edge portion 13 of the filteringsegment 12 is held by a screw '14. (Fig. 3) or other suitable means,whichcan be operated from outside the basket 1 The liquor, which leavesthe basket through the filtering walls 9 in an axial direction, flowsinto the recess 15 and is thrown by the centrifugal force through thehole 16 in the hub member 3. This example of an arrangement of thefilterin segments of the lateral filteringwalls 9 ofiers the advantage,

that the hub member 3 is not weakened by axially arranged passages. Thefiltering arranged on the inside or outside of the late In order toavoid the cloggingor choking of the; openings in the lateral filteringwalls .8 and 9, during working, apart from the graduallyaccumulatinglayer of centrifuged material, these open ngs are arrangedin an oblique direction to' the pathof the centrifugal force, as showndistinctly on Figures 4 and 6. Figure 4 shows such oblique perforations17 on the covering perforated plate 18. A similar effect can be obtainedon the filtering surfaces according 'to Figures 6 and 7 by building thefiltering segments from lamina-- tions. These narrow, obliquely arrangeddifierent. ways. For instance the various laminations 19 may be set intoa segmentshaped frame 20, made of channel-shaped material, and heldtherein by distance pieces in proper order as desired (distance piecesare not shown). It is also possible to fasten the laminations 19 in thesegment-shaped frame 20 by riveting, screwing or welding same to theradial sides of the frame at the desired intervals 21.

If the obliquely arranged passages 17 or 21 are adopted in accordancewith the invention, any solid particles,'thrown accidentally into thesesaid passages will always be radially towards the envelope of the basketun-' der the influence of the centrifugal force.

Generally the separate filtering segments for the filtering surface 9consist of segmentshaped, perforated baseplate 12, to which are fastenedby means of counter-sunk screws 24 or other suitable means one orseveral sheets of wire netting 22 and a perforated covering plate 18 or20 with one or more layers of filtering cloth 23 interposed. Theperforated covering plate 18 or 20 can however be made strong enough,that the baseplate 12 can be dispensed with.

The enlarged filtering surface of a perforated type as obtained on thebasis of the above description ofi'ers amongst others the advantage,that during the charging period a large part of the liquor, to beseparated, will escape axially, which means the saving of time duringthe charging of the basket 1 with material to be treated. If further,after a certain period of centrifuging the radial passages of the basketenvelope 7 becomes more or less obstructed, the liquor is still able tofollow the line of least resistance, namely by the lateral filteringsurfaces 8 and 9 for their escape, which advantage is of specialimportance with less permeable material under treatment. Thisarrangement in accordance with the invention, offers the furtheradvantage, that the separated liquor is not forced to penetrate into andthrough the various strata of centrifuged material as was the casehitherto, thereby rewetting the already dried material, which would goon as long as the charging period is in progress and the innermost layerof material has been separated fromthe liquor. An arrangement inaccordance with this invention will also shorten the time required forcentrifuging 'and warrant a satisfactory degree of dyeness at the sametime.

In order-to separate the liquor from those portions of the materialunder treatment, which are farthest removed from the filtering surfaces7, 8 and 9 of the basket 1, some additional filtering surfaces can beprovided, 25, which are arranged vertically to the basket shaft 4-,therefore radially, and can be fixed to the basket envelope 7 by meansof set screws etc. These additional doublewalled filtering devices 25can be fitted to the basket 1 at all those spots, where the liquor to beseparated meets with great resistance during its escape from the basket.

Through the provision of this new device, the

side through the radial holes 27 in the basket envelope 7. In order notto decrease unduly the holding capacity of the basket 1 through thefitting of these additional filtering members 25, these will be made asnarrow as possible in the axial direction of the shaft. In order toallow forthe fitting of these additional filtering members 25, thescraping devices S for the removal of the dried material etc. are givena corresponding shape as shown on Figure 1. The peeling knife S is movedup and down on the columns 29 by means of the control cylinder 28, whichis actuated under pressure of oil, compressed air etc. The pressurefluid enters the cylinder space 32. in front of the control piston 31through the port 30, whilst 33 is the port for the pressure fluid intothe space 34 below the control piston 31. The peeled-off dried materialis taken away from the basket by means of the discharge trough 35.

If a plant has to deal with large quantities of material, bettereconomycan be obtained by the arrangement of two centrifugal baskets 1and 2011 a common hub member 3, whereby the maximum output is obtainedon a minimum floor space, amounting in real- .ity to the output of twoseparately erected machines. The common hub member 3 is best arrangedbetween the two bearings, so that the stress of the bearings 36 and 37is evenly distributed. Such twin arrangement of baskets on a minimumfloor space permits the operating of the two baskets independent fromeach other but alternately, so that the various phases of a workingperiod, such as charging, discharging etc. will be timed in such waythat the overload on the driving motorsand the congesting of thecharging and discharging'conduetis avoided as much as possible and aneven and balanced running ensured. It is also possible,that'twodift'erent kinds of material may be treated in the two baskets.Such twin plant corresponds, as explained, withthe employment of twoseparate plants, but with the difference, that operation, required floorspace, required power and first cost are considerably more advantageousin a twin set. If the twin set is used for similar working periodsaccording to the gear. 7 v

7 It is immaterial according to this invention whether a perforated orimperforated type of machine is used. The advantages gained by the twinarrangement are the same.

Figures 8 and 9 show a device for the automatic discharge ofimperforated type machines 28, such as are used for the treatment oftown sewage or similar sludgy-substance. The'difiiculties met withhitherto on such machines, were, that the separated, purified liquid hasto be removed in its clearest stage without taking away at the same timeany portion of the separated solids, because such \ing devices fromfollowing their path after action would lead at once to a clouding ofthe former. Such difficulty is removed by this invention, through theemployment of a separate peeling device for each of the various strataof the treated material, such device being specially adapted tothe'nature of the portion of the'material to be taken out by the saidpeeling device for the basket 38. In the example used, wherein thebasket 38 is for instance employed in the treatment of town sewage, thepeeling scoop 39 in the shape of a tube serves for the removal of thepuri-.

fied stratum of liquor, the peeling device 40 for the following stratumof sludge and the peeling knife 41 for the solids clinging to the insideof the basket envelope. All three peeling devicesare moved in a straightline by the common peeling knife carrier 42 along the columns 29 in anup and down direction, whereas this movement is caused by the commoncontrol cylinder 28, arranged on the common stationary casing 6, thiscylinder being under pressure of oil or other suitable medium, which isalternately led into the cylinder above or below the piston 31. Thepeeling devices 39, 40 are adjustable to suit the nature and compositionof the material under treatment, so that their action, namely thepeeling operation, is interrupted according to the adjustment. In orderto attain the automatic action adjustment spindles 43 and 44 areprovided, which will prevent the peel- Qcoming in contact with the saidspindles 43 and 44. As the peeling knife carrier 42 trav-v only thepeeling knife 41 proceeds on its path and does its .Work.

The action of this new and automatic peeling device is as follows:

When thesludge in the basket 38 has been centrifuged, the peeling devicecomes into action, whose members 39 and 40 have been adfpeeling knifecarrier 42. l

justed. to their respective correct length of out by means of thecontrol spindles 43 and 44 according to the thickness of layer to beremoved' by each of the same. The changeover valve 47 is jadjusted insuch manner,

that-the pressure fluid employed enters the space 34 underneath thepiston 31 through the port 33 of the cylinder. The piston 31 is therebylifted upwards and carries with it the peeling knife carrier 42 and thethree peeling devices 39, 40 and 41 along the columns 29 acting asguides. Owing to this feed movement the peeling device 39 comes firstinto action for clearing away the puri- -fied liquor, because thecutting edge of the peeling device 39 is in advance of the other edgesof 40 and 41, whilst these latter edges are also brought forward, butwill not come into action owing to their retarded position. The spindle43 is adjusted in such manner, that after the removal of the purifiedliquor the peeling device 39 comes into contact with the former andremains stationary, whilst the peeling device 40 comes into action.During this period the spring 45 of the peeling device 39 will becorrespondingly compressed during the further progress of the peelingknife carrier 42. The peeling device 40 remains in action until it comesinto contact with spindle 44, which has also been adjusted in accordanceand correspondingly with the thickness of the respective layer to beremoved by the said peeling device 40. After the second peeling device40 has completed its work, the peeling knife 41, whose actionis retardedin relation to the peeling devices 39 and 40, becomes active, whilst thelatter are resting against their respective stops 43, and 44, and thesprings 45 and 46 are further compressed during the continued progressof the After the removal of the final layer, which i rests on theinside'of the basket envelope 38,

the change-over valve 47 is turned, so that the admission of pressurefluid to the space 34 underneath the piston 31 is interrupted, whilstpressure fluid enters the cylinder through the port 30 into the space 32above the piston ,31. The piston 31 is thereby forced downward andcarries with it the peeling knife carrier 42 and the peeling devices 39,40 and 41 into the'original position (out of action).

- Favourable conditions can further be obtained during the peelingoperations of the various layersby the use of peeling devices, extendingover the whole length of the basket. A broad peeling knife orscoop iscondition. A further advantage is gained by the possibility of selectingthe most suitable shape for the various different peeling devices inaccordance with the particular nathe scope of my invention. Therefore,what a I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. A centrifugal separator including a horizontally disposed shaft, anda basket mounted for rotation with said shaft, said basket having acylindrical wall, and an end wall extending radially inwardly from saidcylindrical wall, said end wall having perforations inclined radiallyoutwardly towards the interior of the basket, whereby any solid materialdisposedin said perforations will be urged towards the interior of saidbasket under the action of centrifugal force.

2. A centrifugal separator including a shaft, and a basket connected forrotation with said shaft, said basket including a cylindrical wall, andan end wall connected to said cylindrical wall and extendingradiallyinwardly therefrom, said end wall including a plurality of segmentallyshaped frame members, and a plurality of slats mounted on each of saidframe members, in spaced relationship with each other, and inclinedradially outwardly towards the interior of the basket to provideinclined passageways, whereby any solid material disposed in saidpassageways would be urged towards the interior of the basket under theinfluence of centrifugal force. 4

3. A centrifugal separator including a shaft, a basket mounted forrotation with said shaft, a pair of filtering plates extending radiallyinwardly from said basket intermediate the ends thereof, and acylindrical wall connected to the inner periphery of said filteringplates, the portion of the basketbetween the outer peripheries of saidplates being provided with openings to permit the passage ofliquidtherethrough.

4. A centrifugal -separator including a horizontally disposed shaft, ahub member connected to said shaft, awebmember connected to said hubmember and extending radially outwardly from said hub member, and abasket connected to said web member for rotation therewith, said basketincluding a cylindrical wall having one end thereof disposed adjacentthe outer periphery of said web, and end wall members extending radiallyinwardly from the ends of said cylindrical a perforated end wallextending wall, said end walls including perforated base platessegmentally shaped, a sheet of wire netting and a sheet of filteringcloth connected to each of said base plate sections, and shapedcorresponding to the segmental shape of their associated base plates,said sheetsoffiltering cloth and wire netting be ing connected to theirassociated base plate sections, whereby each of said segmental baseplates and their associated wire netting and filtering cloth sheets maybe fitted or taken out of the basket as aunit, said web member beingprovided with an annular groove for receiving the inner periphery of theend wall adjacent thereto, said last mentioned end wall being spacedfrom said web to provide a radially extending passageway leading to theoutside of the basket.

5. A centrifugal separator including a horizontally disposed shaft, apair of spaced 3earings for said shaft, a hub member connected to saidshaft between said bearings, said hub member having connected thereto animperforate web extending radiallyoutwardly therefrom, and a pair ofbaskets arranged on opposite sides of said' web between said bearingsand supported entirely by said web, whereby the flow of liquid from onebasket to the other is prevented, one of said basket-s including acylindrical wall, and

radially inwardly from the end of said cylindrical wall adjoining .saidweb, said end wall being spaced from the web to provide a radiallyextending passageway from the interior of said basket to the outsidethereof 6. A centrifugal separator including a rotatable basket, meansfor removing the separated liquid from the interior of said basket, aplurality of peeling knives mounted in the ping the peeling movement ofsaid peeling knives successively, whereby each of said knives willremove a different stratum of solids collected in the interior of saidbasket.

7. A centrifugal separator including a rotatable basket, means forremoving the separated liquid from the interior of said basket, apeeling knife carrier, means for moving said carrier towards theperiphery of said basket. a plurality of peeling knives mounted 8.- Acentrifugal separator includiiig a rotatable basket, means for removingthe separated liquid from the interior of said basket, apeeling knifecarrier. a rod for guiding said carrier therealong, fluid pressure meansfor moving said carrier along said rod, .a peeling knife spring-mountedon said carrier, and a interior of said basket, and means for stopriorof said basket and having the form of a conduit, and a peeling knife atone end of said scoop,'said scoop being adapted to receive the solidspeeled be from the basket by said knife, means for moving said knife ina dij rection parallel to the radius of the basket towards the peripheryof said basket, and means for stopping the further movement of saidknife after it has reached a predetermined position with respect to saidbasket. 10. A centrifugal separator including a rotatable basket, aknife carrier, fluidactuated means for moving said knife carrier towardsthe periphery of said basket, a knife springalong said guide to varytheposition of said. edge in respect to the periphery of sald basket. .f

14. A centrifugal separator including a rdtatable basket, a tubularconduit terminating in a scoop mounted in the interior of said basket,and having a peeling edge at this end extending substantially parallelto the axis of said basket, and means for moving said conduit endwiseand substantially radially of said basket.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DR. GUSTAV TER mounted to said carrier, a spindle disposed in f the pathof travel of saidlmife, and means for setting said spindle in anyselective position, whereby the end of said spindle will come in contactwith said knife and stop its further-travel towards the periphery ofsaid basket after said knife has reached a predetermined position withrespect to said basket.

11. A centrifugal separator including a horizontally disposed shaft, apair of spaced bearings for said shaft, a hub member connected to saidshaft and disposed centrally between said. bearings, an imperforate Webconnected to said hub and extending radially outwardly therefrom, and apair of peripheral Wallsrigidly secured to said web and extending inopposite directions therefrom, and supported entirely by said web, and

' forming with said web a part of separate baskets.

12. Acentrifugalseparatorincluding a horizontally disposed shaft, a pairof spaced bearings for said shaft, a hub member connected to said shaftbetween said bearings, an imperforate web connected to said hub andextending radially outwardly therefrom, a

pair of peripheral walls rigidly secured to and supported entirely bysaid Web, said Web being imperforate, whereby the flow of liquid A fromone basket to the other'is prevented, a

peeling knife mounted in each of said baskets,

and means for independently -moving each of sa d knives into peelingrelationship with its associated peripheral wall.

13. A centrifugal separator including a rotatable basket mounted on ahorizontal axis, a'tubular conduit open at the upper end and extendinginto said basket, and having a peeling edge at its open end extendingsubstantially parallel to the axis of the basket, a vertical guideparallel to a radius of said basket, I

and means for moving said conduit vertically

